When it comes to Asian cooking, the best part of it all is the use of the cooking equipment. Asian cooking equipment is so varied and interesting that many people would simply fall in love with Asian cooking. Many people think that the wok is the only piece of equipment which is of utmost importance when it comes to Asian cooking but there is much more to Asian cooking than only the wok. Asian cooking involves the use of a number of essential cooking wear.
The Wok however is the most basic and essential piece of cooking equipment when it comes to Asian cooking. Most Chinese households use the wok which is either made from steel or heavy iron. A traditional wok normally has two handles and is concave shaped. The Wok can be used for a number of cooking purposes like deep-frying, stir frying, steaming and pan frying. Thus without the use of the Wok no Chinese cooking is possible. The wok needs to be kept well oiled so as to prevent it from rusting and prevent it from becoming dry. This is essentially a very important tip for beginners in Asian cooking as most people who are new to Asian cooking forget to keep their woks oiled well.
The next piece of utensil is the clay pot which is another piece of cooking equipment used widely in Asian cooking. The Asian clay pot and the English stew pot are essentially one and the same except that the Asian clay pot is used over a stove rather than in an oven. The clay pot is designed in such manner that the food cooked in it stays piping hot for a very long time.
Another great favorite among Asian cooks is the steamer which comes in a variety of sizes right from 6 inches to 12 inches in diameter. This steamer is made of bamboo and is also very attractive and can be used as a serving dish also. The steamer can have more than one layer which enables more than a single dish to be cooked at any given time. Using the steamer for cooking enables the cook to serve a variety of dishes with ease.
For Asian cooking the cleaver is a must as it is used for a variety of cooking purposes. Using cleavers cooks can easily cut through bone with ease as it is made out of heavy steel. The cleaver can be considered as a tool of mass destruction as it can be used for slicing through duck bone and also for cutting vegetables into beautiful decorative pieces.